Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Group genomics drive aggression in honey bees
Researchers often study the genomes of individual organisms to try to tease out the relationship between genes and behavior. A new study of Africanized honey bees reveals, however, that the...
Coconut confusion reveals consumer conundrum
Coconut oil production may be more damaging to the environment than palm oil, researchers say.
Virtual Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus to battle in The Open For The Ages
Golf fans will get to see Tiger Woods in his prime face Jack Nicklaus in his prime after British Open organizers in Scotland launched a virtual version of the major...
Protein linked to cancer acts as a viscous glue in cell division
An over-abundance of the protein PRC1, which is essential to cell division, is a telltale sign in many cancer types, including prostate, ovarian, and breast cancer. New research, published online...
Dozens of endangered dorcas gazelles killed by poachers in Niger
Around 40 dorcas gazelles, an endangered species, have been slaughtered by poachers in one of Africa's largest nature reserves, environmental authorities said Tuesday.
To Let Neurons Talk, Immune Cells Clear Paths through Brain’s ‘Scaffolding’
To make new memories, our brain cells first must find one another. Small protrusions that bud out from the ends of neurons’ long, branching tentacles dock neurons together so they...
Microscopy images in a flash
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have built a novel microscope that provides a "chemical lens" for viewing biological systems including cell membranes and biofilms. The tool could advance the understanding...
Bores' lasting effect on landscape
Artificial watering points in rangelands are posing an increasing threat to surrounding biodiversity long after the removal of livestock, according to University of Queensland research.
Evolution makes the world less ragged
How does evolution impact ecological patterns? It helps smooth out the rough edges, says UConn Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Professor Mark Urban. Urban led an international team of researchers through...
Study shows human-dominated areas are highly lethal to bears until they learn to adapt to people
A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in Canada has found that bears living with people are at high risk of dying until they learn to adapt. In their...
Organized chaos in the enzyme complex—surprising insights and new perspectives
For protein molecules that contribute to metabolism, interactions with other components of their metabolic pathway can be crucial. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen have...
Speciation genomics identifies candidate genomic regions responsible for reproductive isolation in chestnut trees
Chinese chestnut trees are thought to be critical for resurrecting wild American chestnut and European chestnut trees. Knowledge of speciation genomics may be of great value to the chestnut forest...
Understanding sea larvae is key to managing marine systems
An international study led by Monash University scientists has found that the distance traveled by marine larvae is dictated by both biological and physical constraints—contradicting previous hypotheses based on biology...
New study analyses multiple-tailed lizards
Ph.D. Candidate James Barr, from Curtin University's School of Molecular and Life Sciences, said while the phenomena of multiple-tailed lizards are widely known to occur, documented events were generally limited...
New global study reveals 'time tree' of Earth's flowering plants
New research published today in Nature Ecology & Evolution by scientists from Australia and Mexico reveals the world's first complete angiosperm "time tree"—a reconstruction of the evolution of the Earth's...
The impact of climate change on marmot survival differs between seasons
Many animals have evolved life cycles and strategies (patterns of survival and reproduction) in line with predictable seasonal variation in environmental conditions. Short and mild summers produce bursts of vegetation...
Seeking ancestral commonalities with modern human body type, researchers find stockier answer
An ancestor to modern humans had a stockier build than previously thought—one that is quite different from today's human body—a team of paleoanthropologists has discovered. This newly established distinction suggests...
Scientists reveal mechanism of dioxygen activation
Metalloenzyme can couple dioxygen activation to substrate functionalization, which often exhibits unrivaled efficiency, even at ambient conditions.
How Human Brains Are Different: It Has a Lot to Do with the Connections
Different mammals demonstrate common patterns in brain connections. But our own species has a few twists of its own -- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Multisample technique to analyze cell adhesion
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology researchers have developed a robust and efficient method of examining the interactions between cells using fluorescent tagging, simultaneously analyzing multiple cell populations, and...
Team discovers first effective treatment for citrus-destroying disease
UC Riverside scientists have found the first substance capable of controlling Citrus Greening Disease, which has devastated citrus farms in Florida and also threatens California.
Coronavirus: Spanish study casts doubt on herd immunity feasibility
A Lancet study estimates that around just 5% of the Spanish population has developed antibodies.
Microplastic pollution harms lobster larvae, study finds
Microplastic fiber pollution in the ocean impacts larval lobsters at each stage of their development, according to new research. A study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin reports that the...
Endangered gorilla in New Orleans expecting 1st baby
One of the critically endangered gorillas in the New Orleans' zoo is expecting her first baby, and already is being trained with a "doll" to hold her future offspring.
Top medical officer for California prisons ousted amid worsening coronavirus outbreak
The move comes amid criticism over the transfer of hundreds of inmates to prisons from a Chino facility reeling from coronavirus infections.
Neurobiology: How much oxygen does the brain need?
The brain has a high energy demand and reacts very sensitively to oxygen deficiency. Neurobiologists have now succeeded for the first time in directly correlating oxygen consumption with the activity...
Biological factories: How do bacteria build up natural products?
The active agents of many drugs are natural products, so called because often only microorganisms are able to produce the complex structures. Similar to the production line in a factory,...
Running in Tarahumara culture
"Running in Tarahumara (Rarámuri) Culture," just published in Current Anthropology (v61, no. 3 (June 2020): 356-379) studies the Tarahumara Native Americans of northern Mexico.